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NOV
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DAY OF THE DEAD
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The Story Behind the Poster
Discover the symbolism and Andean worldview that inspired this year’s Latin American Heritage Month artwork.
This year’s poster celebrates the Andean vision of a living universe where all things remain connected across time.
01
TUPANANCHISKAMA
“Until life brings us together again.”
More than a farewell, Tupananchiskama expresses an Andean understanding of life as an endless cycle where memory, nature, ancestors and future generations remain forever connected.
02
The Butterfly
Transformation, Memory & Connection
At the center of the artwork, the butterfly symbolizes transformation and renewal. Inspired by ancestral Andean textiles, its wings weave together past, present and future while connecting the three realms of existence.
03
THE THREE WORLDS
ONE LIFE, ONE CONTINUOUS CYCLE
According to Andean cosmology, all life flows through three interconnected realms:
Hanan Pacha — The Celestial World
Kay Pacha — The Living World
Uku Pacha — The World of Origins Together, they remind us that everything in the universe exists in relationship.
04
DUALITY & BALANCE
COMPLEMENTARY FORCES
The Sun and Moon, Corn and Cacao, masculine and feminine energies all reflect a fundamental Andean principle: balance is created not through opposition, but through complementarity.
05
THE AMARU
GUARDIAN OF THE CYCLE
The sacred serpent Amaru represents regeneration, movement and transformation. Flowing between worlds, it embodies the eternal cycle of death, rebirth and renewal.
All Editions
The Tree That
Connects Us
In its seventh edition, Latin American Heritage Month celebrated the roots that ground us and the connections that help our community grow. Through music, food, tradition, art, and literature, the festival brought people together in Vancouver and extended its Día de Muertos celebrations to Burnaby for the first time.
At the heart of the artwork stands the Tree of Life, whose colourful branches bring together the many expressions of our heritage. Musical instruments, cacao, corn, flowers, animals, and ancestral figures share its branches, while a decorated skull and a candle connect celebration with remembrance. The tree becomes a meeting place for nature, creativity, and memory, where each element contributes to a larger, shared story.
This edition invited us to gather beneath its branches, honour the roots that sustain us, and nurture a living heritage that continues to bloom with every generation.
Every Tradition
Has a Voice
In its sixth edition, Latin American Heritage Month invited Vancouver to experience our heritage through music, art, workshops, and community celebrations. Each gathering offered a space to share traditions, discover new perspectives, and strengthen the connections that bring us together.
The artwork imagines culture as a living expression flowing from two faces inspired by ancestral imagery. Colourful swirls connect them with flowers, cacao, corn, and musical instruments, bringing nature and creativity into conversation. A decorated skull and a candle evoke remembrance alongside the joy of celebration, reflecting the bonds between the lives we honour and the traditions we continue.
This edition celebrated the ways heritage finds a voice in the present—through the music we play, the memories we cherish, and the experiences we share with our community.
We Are Part of
the Dance
Celebrating its fifth edition, Latin American Heritage Month brought Vancouver together through music, food, tradition, art, and literature. Performances, exhibitions, and cultural encounters created spaces to honour our roots and celebrate the creativity of our community.
At the heart of the artwork, the deities of the Moon and the Sun dance together, bringing the many expressions of culture into motion. Flowing ribbons connect their dance with musical instruments, cacao, corn, and ancestral motifs, tracing a journey through rhythm, nourishment, nature, and artistic expression. Their encounter evokes balance, connection, and the continuity of a heritage that lives through us.
This edition invited us to become part of that dance—to share what we have inherited, discover what connects us, and carry our culture forward with every story, rhythm, and celebration.
Exploring Our Origins
In 2022, Latin American Heritage Month brought music, dance, food, and shared traditions to Vancouver through performances, workshops, and community gatherings. The festival invited people of all backgrounds to discover the creativity of Latin America and connect with its cultural roots.
The artwork offers a playful encounter with ancestral heritage, bringing feathered serpents, a stylized hummingbird, corn, and geometric patterns into a colourful composition. Illustrated musicians fill the scene with movement, while books evoke storytelling and the sharing of knowledge. Together, these elements connect ancestral imagery with the joy of learning, creating, and celebrating.
This edition invited us to explore our heritage with curiosity, find inspiration in its many expressions, and keep its stories alive through shared experiences.
Heritage Lives
Through Us
In 2021, Latin American Heritage Month brought our community together through music, food, tradition, art, and literature. With experiences in Vancouver and online, the festival created opportunities to reconnect with our roots and share them with others.
At the heart of the artwork, a figure holding a child evokes care, belonging, and the passing of heritage between generations. The central portrait brings different features and cultural expressions together, reflecting the diversity of our community. Surrounded by corn, abundant flowers, and tropical leaves, the child reaches towards a butterfly—an image that suggests curiosity, hope, and the possibilities of new life.
This edition celebrated heritage as a living connection: the stories we receive, the traditions we nurture, and the knowledge we share with those who come after us.
Guardians of Heritage
In a year that kept us physically apart, Latin American Heritage Month celebrated the stories, traditions, and creativity that connect us. Through shared voices and cultural experiences, our community found ways to honour its roots across the distance.
At the heart of the 2020 artwork is a feminine presence that honours the many roles of women across pre-Hispanic cultures: as cultivators, creators, keepers of knowledge, and spiritual and community figures. The portrait brings these dimensions together, surrounded by corn, cacao, flowers, and tropical leaves that evoke connections to the land and the continuity of life. Through this imagery, the poster celebrates women’s contributions to cultural memory and the passing of knowledge across generations.
From the foods that carry our memories to the music that brings us together, this edition celebrated the many ways we belong—and the stories we carry forward.
BE PART OF
Join our Latin cultural organization and be part of our impact. We are looking for sponsors, vendors, exhibitors, and volunteers passionate about celebrating and promoting our rich Latin heritage.
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